Columbia Heights Man Charged After Child Abuse Images Discovered
BY MN CRIME STAFF
A man faces multiple felony charges after investigators say a remote tech support session uncovered hundreds of suspected child sexual abuse images on a cellphone.
The investigation began Feb. 13 after police were contacted by a Best Buy supervisor who reported an employee discovered illegal material while remotely assisting a customer with a device issue.
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Authorities say the technician was granted access to the phone to troubleshoot a problem and immediately observed numerous explicit images involving young children. Investigators allege the man began attempting to delete files while the technician still had remote access to the device.
Prosecutors charged Bruce James Herrick, 78, of Columbia Heights, with six felony counts including possession of pornographic work and possession of child sexual abuse material while registered as a predatory offender. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
According to court records, investigators obtained a search warrant for Herrick’s apartment in Columbia Heights. When officers arrived, they reported hearing movement inside before Herrick answered the door and claimed he had lost his phone. Detectives then called the phone number associated with the device and heard it ringing inside the residence, eventually locating it hidden behind a cabinet in the dining area.
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Authorities say an initial review revealed hundreds of suspected child sexual abuse images stored on the phone. Investigators conducting an early forensic extraction reported bookmarking more than 343 images within the first 10 minutes of examination, with additional analysis still underway when charges were filed.
Court records indicate several files appeared to be photographs taken of images displayed on another screen. Metadata associated with the files showed activity dates ranging from September 2023 through Feb. 23, 2026. Prosecutors allege each charged count corresponds to a separate victim.
Investigators also noted some files had recently been moved into deleted folders shortly before law enforcement seized the device. The images were located on a Jitterbug cellphone recovered inside the apartment.
Herrick is registered as a level two predatory offender. Court records show prior qualifying convictions, including a 1986 Anoka County case involving use of a minor in a sexual performance and a federal child pornography conviction in 2007 that resulted in an eight-year prison sentence.
Herrick remains in custody and is expected to make an initial court appearance Wednesday. Authorities say the forensic review of the device remains ongoing and additional charges could be filed as investigators continue examining the data.
